Above and Below the Streets of Shibuya
by bugzii
Summary: So what happened to certain peaceful angel before becoming the Producer of The Reapers Game? Set a number of years before 'The World Ends With You' focusing on Sanae Hanekoma's (CAT's) point of view.
1. Casual Graffiti

**_Casual Graffiti_**

In the bustling streets of Shibuya, the same crowds gather as the day before and the day before that. Teen girls rush about to get to the sales before the last pair of designer jeans is sold to some other girl. Busy adults run to work in attempt to be on time and kiss up to their bosses. Others walk idly texting on their phones or procrastinating outside shop windows, making trouble to keep themselves entertained.

The angel looked down at the rotting town from the top of PorkCity. He watched as people turned a blind eye to a human girl's pleas as she was pulled to an alleyway by men with faces distorted by greed and lust. He longed to help this girl however as an angel he was forbidden to interfere directly with human lives. He could only sit in place and watch these events unfold.

He reached for a cigarette in his back pocket, placed it in his mouth, and lit it. Smoke spiralled upwards as he took a drag. The angel looked down again whilst he finished smoking then doused the light and jumped off the skyscraper. A flurry of feathers flashed behind him as he flew gracefully towards the suburbs of Shibuya. He beat his wings to a hover and touched down gently. The place was worn down and was known to humans as a gang ridden area. But for all the dangers there was one good thing about the area; it was quiet. The angel hid his wings and casually leant against a wall. This area had become a comfort to him in his own way. It remained as one of the few places that hadn't been touched by the flash of new buildings that had popped up over the last few years.

A hissing noise and the snickering of two males broke the silence. The angel peaked around the corner to see a couple of youth's holding cans of spray paint and scribbling random swearwords on the wall of an abandoned shop. It wasn't that long before they finished their fun and strolled away laughing.

_'Tsuna is gay'_

_'Taito woz 'ere'_

No points for originality. He walked up and touched the wall lightly with the tips of his fingers. Each word was filled with heavy negative vibes. Withdrawing his hand, he stepped back and looked for a way into the sealed building. The entrance and windows were boarded up with rotten wood which made it easy to break in. He stood a little way inside and explored his surroundings carefully with his eyes. It was clear that this had been the base of the gang at some point but, for now at least, it was empty.

His eyes were drawn to a small overturned crate in the corner with its contents spilled out over the floor. He'd found what he was looking for. The angel knelt down to put everything back into the crate and carried it outside to the graffiti.

Standing away from the wall, he scanned area before grabbing a can of paint from the crate and shaking it thoroughly.

An hour passed before he was completely satisfied with his work. Originally he had planed on just covering the graffiti plainly however inspiration struck him at a crucial moment. He hadn't covered the graffiti, no, he had replaced it. It wasn't silly scribbles of malice and stupidity, it was (in its own way) art. The angel touched his work with his fingers and traced the outlines with a slight smirk on his face. The negativity was gone. His work emitted a more positive energy instead.

He supposed that he should sign it. But signing his name would identify him as a person. Not to mention it would look weird. Maybe wordplay?

_'Sanae Hanekoma'_

_'HaNEKOma'_

_'Neko (Cat)'_

"A cat huh?" he shook the black can and finished his work.

_…Little did he know that his work would lead to the events that followed…_


	2. Innocent Wheels

**_Innocent Wheels_**

Days passed. It had almost been a week since Sanae Hanekoma, the angel in question, had spray painted over the unintelligible doodlings of two adolescents. The details of the event only lingered, half forgotten, as an unimportant memory.

It was morning. The sun had barely begun to rise behind the mountain of sky scrapers which loomed over Shibuya, yet already the scramble crossing was filling with people. But away from the rushing feet and noise, leaning on the wall of an archway in Miyashita Park Underpass for the last hour was the angel. A business woman on her phone broke the long silence with even taps from her black stilettos. The angel watched her feet as they clopped on the concrete and echoed off the walls. He sighed and closed his eyes. Despite the underpass being small and enclosed, it didn't feel as compact as some of the other areas around Shibuya. Light entered through the archways and brightened the space. He took a deep breath of cool morning air.

As the number of people using the underpass increased, the angel began to walk slowly towards MiyashitaPark. It was one of the few places in Shibuya that had greenery, even if it was only a few trees. Youths were already using the skate ramps in the park to show off before school started.

"It almost makes me laugh", the angel thought. "The kids are so lively and energetic now but I doubt they'll remain that way once school starts".

He manoeuvred himself to an empty bench away from the commotion and continued to watch the youths with interest.

"They've not a care in the world", he muttered to himself.

The angel enjoyed the occasional laugh and sounds of awe that came from one of the younger males in the park whenever he saw the teenagers perform a trick. He was only a child, no more than five years old. Like the youths flipping and rolling down the ramps, the child also had a skateboard. It was small and the wheels had hardly been scuffed. It was obvious that it hadn't been used properly yet. The boy stared blankly at his skateboard for a moment and lifted his head with a look of confidence on his face. He placed skateboard carefully on its wheels next to his feet.

"This should be good", the angel remarked, focusing the majority of his attention onto the child.

The five-year-old who was brimming with confidence just seconds ago now looked down hesitantly at his board. He gazed at the teenagers on the ramps who where now competing against each other with some sort of dare game.

"Okay! My turn!"

"What was that?! You just skimmed the floor! That don't count"

"Fine then! You try a 180 grind with that tiny run up! It ain't fair to dare someone somethin' you can't do!"

The angel watched the little boy turn his attention back to his skateboard with a large grin. The child swallowed his fear and jumped onto it with vigour. The force pushed the board forwards without warning which sent the boy hurtling towards the ground. The board hit a tree and bounced backwards in the direction it came from. The kid sat up and glared at the skateboard like it was his least favourite vegetable. A snort escaped the angel's lips. He shouldn't have laughed but the boy's reaction was too funny to ignore.

A stern man then walked towards the young boy looking down at him with disproval. The angel's face became neutral. Was this his father?

"What do you think you were doing?!"

"I was practicing", the boy stated. He held his head low to avoid his father's eyes.

"You are filthy!" the man declared. "Your clothes are ruined! Stupid child".

The boy didn't move.

"Get up Daisukenojo".

The boy got up and grabbed his skateboard. The father eyed it with distaste. It wasn't long after that when the two left.


	3. A Brother's Love

**_A Brother's Love_**

Morning slowly crept into afternoon. The streets, shops and cafes were at their busiest during this time. The Scramble Crossing was packed with tourists and shoppers.

Sanae Hanekoma had removed himself from Miyashita Park and now sat on the highest point at Pork City. His legs lazily dangled off the edge of the sky scraper. After what he had witnessed at the park, the angel found himself to be in a particularly good mood. The child's eagerness and innocent ambition had given him a little hope for the next generation of humans. But doubt still lurked in his mind. It was so easy to corrupt a child. From the negative aura emitted by the father, it was clear to the angel that it wouldn't be long before the boy began to really suffer.

He rummaged around his pocket for the cigarette packet he had bought the day before. After taking a look inside the pack and noticing that there weren't many left, he decided the save the remaining few for later. The angel returned the cigarettes to his pocket and sighed.

Time then sped up for the angel. Before he knew it, the endless deafening buzz from the people below died down to a point where the angel could discern between each voice in the crowds of humans. He leaned forward and rested his elbows on his legs. One particular voice caught his attention. His eyes scanned the crowd to find its source.

"Found him", the angel muttered.

Running around the Statue of Hachiko were two children, one was the five-year-old boy from the park. The angel noticed how his smile lit up his face. He was in a moment of pure bliss. The boy looked to be chasing a toddler around the statue. Both children had the same pale blond hair and large blue eyes. Perhaps they were siblings.

"Looks like all that worry was for nothing". The angel hummed and leaned backwards to stare at the sky.

A high pitched wail brought his attention back to the statue. The toddler had fallen over and now sat on the concrete, crying. Her older brother jumped up and down and ran in circles, unsure of what to do. The sobbing toddler grabbed at his trousers and he promptly lost his balance. The boy fell flat on his face. Concerned passers by stopped and wondered if they should help. The brother lifted his head and pushed himself into a kneeling position. A red blush coated his checks.

The angel laughed. "These two kids should be a comedy duo".

When the angel finished laughing, he watched the boy as he clumsily lifted his little sister up to seat her on one of the nearby benches. The toddler had stopped crying but her eyes and face were still wet and puffy. The boy sat next to her and masked his worry with a big grin. He carefully wrapped one arm around her and pulled her close. Again, his cheeks became a dark shade of pink.

The little girl rested her head on her brother and sniffed. Both children remained on the bench until a couple strode towards them. The angel recognised one, the man, as the father of the boy. The woman who walked with him was tall and slender, wearing expensive and complimenting clothes. They appeared to be in some sort of relationship.

Upon arrival, the couple stood a distance away and examined both children. Then the woman ran up to the toddler and pulled her from her older brother. She openly fretted and comforted the little girl whilst not paying any attention to the boy. The five-year-old didn't move.

Sanae Hanekoma watched the fathers face intently and hoped to find an emotion that could not be found. The father just glared at his son before leading the family away.


	4. Limit to an Angel's Reach

**_Limit to an Angel's Reach_**

The angel watched the family leave. He prayed for the boy before retreating back to his thoughts.

The sky was beautiful that evening. The blue sky faded to a murky purple and the clouds caught the dying light of the sun which disappeared behind a line of tall buildings. Orange, pink and gold illuminated the sky above. Lights slowly emerged from the buildings one by one.

Hanekoma let his head hang back as he felt the cool evening air brush against his face. He was still sitting at the top of PorkCity. It wasn't uncommon for him to remain there for days at a time.

On the border of what could be called dusk and night, the angel released his wings and stretched them out as far as they would open. At this point, if a person were to look upwards towards the angel, only his silhouette would be seen.

"Ahh…that's better", he remarked. He relaxed his pale wings so they drooped a little from his back.

A sudden chill went up his spine. His skin tingled and his feathers twitched.

It is rare for this angel to feel the cold. The angel, now alert, hastily searched for the cause of this feeling. What he had felt was a sign. It warned the angel of a human's death before their appointed time.

His ears confirmed his fears. The wind carried the screams of a young male in Udagawa.

Without delay, the angel pushed himself into the air and dived to Udagawa's back streets.

Silently, he landed in the shadows of a nearby building. He flattened himself against the wall when he heard the dull thuds of kicks being thrust continuously into the already dead male. On observation, he counted eight in the group. Three were kicking, two stood nearby laughing, two were keeping watch, and the last person threw insults and swore at the body.

The gang seemed to enjoy their game. One of the group, a tall and scruffy haired guy, had taken to kicking the head like a football. The skull had caved in and leaked blood from the cavity. Another, a spectator, smoked a roll of something that stung the angel's eyes and throat.

The violence continued for several minutes before the group realised that their victim wasn't moving. The gang laughed some more before one of their number carelessly tossed him towards the ally that the angel was hiding in.

The group then abruptly left. Hanekoma watched them disappear before swallowing down the vomit that had emerged from his stomach. Watching a man die in such a way without being allowed to do a thing infuriated him. This was one of the few duties that the angel could barely obey through shear willpower. It didn't matter the vast amount of times that his eyes had witnessed an event such as this one. It never got any easier. Angels must never alter the course of human life. He could never bring harm to the men that caused the incident, nor could he have saved the poor mans life.

The angel stared at the battered body for a while before moving closer. He summoned a feather which glided above the dead man and began to glow. Then it vanished. The soulless body would have to remain here alone until someone found it.

The angel decided to do what he felt was right. He would stay with the body till morning.


	5. Sight

**_Sight_**

"Hey, did ya see it?"

"See what?

"Someone left their mark in the backstreets."

"Teito and Sai? Pft. Where have you been the past year? They got tags all over."

"I ain't an idiot! It weren't them."

"Well who then? Wait…don't answer that…does it even matter? Everyone's leavin' their tags everywhere. It could be anyone."

"Yeah but this is different yo!"

Hanekoma was sitting on the same bench in Miyashita Park that he had the day previous. He yawned some and tried to focus his mind on something other than the events of the night before. He had already gotten through the last of his cigarettes. The angel sighed and stared down at the laces on his shoes.

He snapped out of his daze when a small skateboard rolled over to him and halted at his foot. As the looked up, the angel recognised the boy that he'd been watching yesterday. The child stood, panting, a few meters away.

"Hey mister, can I have my board?" He asked.

The angel smiled and gently pushed the skateboard along the ground towards the boy. The child took it gratefully and ran off towards the older skaters.

"You look terrible", came a voice from behind him. "You're not a stalker or anyone bad are you?" There was a small, light hearted chuckle.

The angel turned around and his eyes met the stranger; a man in his later years with short, unruly, silver hair. His wrinkled and aged skin betrayed his almost youthful eyes. Dimples emphasised his genuine smile.

The man continued as he sat next to the angel, "You've done nothing but sit there for the last few hours you know. I wake up this morning and look out my window and there you are. So I says to myself, 'It's awfully cold this morning and that man has no coat on. What he needs is a nice cup of coffee'."

The angel dared not move. Usually humans stayed oblivious to creatures of the higher plain unless they drew attention to themselves. There were exceptions: young children, people with bad health or who needed help, individuals with a high spiritual awareness, etc. This man, however, was able to see him without any aid or need.

"Your face is young, but your eyes are old", stated the elder.

The angel looked at him with a new found curiosity. "Who are you?"

"Ah! Where are my manners? My name is Yu. That boy over there with the red bandana is my grandson. I've been asked to look after him while."

The angel spotted the described boy by himself, around eight to nine years of age, stacking a bunch of empty drinks cans on top of each other. His aura was clouded.

"Is he alright?"

"His father didn't come home again last night. He has a high reputation as a maths professor but seems to have more time for his pupils then for his own son."

"I see"

The conversation came to an abrupt halt. It was several minutes before Yu spoke again.

"I suppose I'd better get this one to school", he sighed as he got up. "Sho! Time to go kiddo."

He then turned to the angel and said, "Let's chat again sometime", before cheerfully taking his grandsons hand.


	6. Own Blend

**_Own Blend_**

In the back streets of Shibuya a group of youths stared at the fading graffiti that had appeared a few weeks ago. No one knew where it came from and it seemed that they'd never find out. The 'artist' had never returned.

Meanwhile in Miyashita Park the angel was in mid conversation with the elderly grandfather and kind human 'Yu'. Following their first meeting only a few days before, Hanekoma and Yu began to converse in small idle chit chat which was starting to become a regular occurrence. In truth, both angel and human enjoyed each others company.

Unfortunately, the topic of this particular conversation was not as enjoyable.

"…and then caught them with his camera"

"So they know who did it?"

"I certainly hope so. Oh I do hope they catch them soon. I can't imagine what I would do if anything were to happen to little Sho or my son-in-law"

"Have they released the footage to the public yet?"

"Only bits of it. Apparently it's too gruesome to show the full thing. The body was in a foul state when it was found."

The angels' hairs stood on end as he reflected on the memory of the first victim; the battered young man in Udagawa. He was completely unrecognisable after the blows to the head. The scene that he had witnessed was not a sight he would willingly show to anyone.

And now there had been another killing, of which the angel was also unable to stop.

"Hey? You okay there sonny?" the old man questioned.

The angel shook his head and turned to face him. "Yeah…I'm fine".

Yu was in thought for a moment. He turned to the angel and asked in a more cheerful tone, "That reminds me, would you accompany me on a short walk?"

The angel nodded. Perhaps a change of scenery would do him good.

They walked slowly, side by side, immersed in yet another of their many talks. For the first time, Hanekoma's vision of the town and its people blurred and faded to the back of his mind; his attention focused completely on the elderly man. Before he knew it, he'd already stepped into Yu's apartment. It was quiet without the presence of Yu's grandson, Sho, who was currently at school, which made a pleasant contrast to the conflicting noise outside.

Yu ushered the angel in and seated him at a small, wooden table.

"When you said 'short walk' I didn't think you'd take me here", the angel remarked.

"Would you have come if I had said any different?" The grandfather wittingly replied from the kitchen.

The angel smirked whilst staring at the patterns that the grains in the wood made. He couldn't argue with that.

After about a minute, Yu strode back to the table with a mug of something hot in each hand. He carefully placed one in front of Sanae before sitting opposite with his own mug.

"I said when we first met that I'd treat you to a coffee didn't I?"

Sanae brought the cup to his nose. "I don't recognise the scent. What exactly is it? Mocha? Latte?"

"It's my special blend", Yu said proudly as Sanae took a sip.

"Not bad".


End file.
